In recent years, text messaging has rapidly become a popular marketing channel. But did you know that there are several different types of text messages that you can use to promote your business?

To help promote your business via text messaging, you need to determine what types of messages will best reach your audience. This article will give you an in-depth overview of the different types of marketing messages you can send, including examples of each.

Text Message Shortcuts

One of the great things about text messaging is that you can use shortcuts to send longer messages. For example, you can type http://bit.ly/XYZ instead of typing out the full website address. This is called a hyperlink and it will automatically pull up the website you’re referring to in a new tab.

Not only does this save you time, but it also gives your message more impact. When someone sees your text message and clicks on a hyperlink to visit a website, they’re more likely to retain your message compared to someone who didn’t click on the hyperlink and just read your message.

Text Spam

Text spamming is when you send a series of texts to people with no meaningful content. While it might seem like a quick and easy way to get a few hundred texts out, spamming is considered an extremely unethical practice and even a little bit suspicious.

In the era of fake news and information overload, viewers trust websites and apps more than they trust individual text messages. Plus, many messaging apps have a filter that automatically prevents you from spamming.

Rich Media

Another major difference between text messages and standard ones is that you can include images and videos in your message. While this might seem like a double-edged sword, depending on your target audience and the style of your campaign, you can use this to your advantage.

If you’re using videos to grab attention, it’s essential that you use a video thumbnail that is a close-up of the face you’re supposed to grab attention with. Make sure that the audio is clear and that you adjust the volume where needed.

Dictation

Dictation messages are similar to Text Spam in that they often just consist of a series of garbled words. Someone will talk to you, you’ll dictate your response, and that will be that.

While this might seem like an easy way to get your thoughts out there, without having to proofread and edit your work, you’re limiting your audience. And the more limited your audience, the less impact your message will have.

Action Messages

Sometimes you don’t have enough time to fully write out your message. In these situations, you can use action messages to get your point across. If you’ve ever used a chatbot, you’ll know what action message is.

Once you’ve determined your goal with the bot (e.g., getting a user to register for your website), you can assign a meaningful action to that goal. When someone takes that action (e.g., visiting your website), you’ll receive immediate confirmation that they’ve acted on your message.

Emoticon Packs

An emoticon is a small image that can replace words in a text message. Since people are busy, cutting-down on text messages is one of the key ways you can make your work easier for your audience.

To let your audience know you’re trying to save them time and that you want them to engage with your message, you can use an emoticon pack. With these, you’ll find a range of cute, funny, and plain emoticons that you can use to your advantage. Just remember: funny or sarcastic emoticons are highly likely to annoy your audience. So use them sparingly.